What’s the new Disney Inspire Visa card?
TLDR: The Disney Inspire is the newest Disney credit card out on the market, but it’s certainly not for everyone.
Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.
MoreLess
Product details may vary. Please see the issuer website for current information. NextCard does not receive commission for this product.
The Disney Inspire is now Disney’s most premium credit card with a $149 annual fee. The card has the potential to work for folks who are Disney superfans. It’s a very niche card with different benefits than most mainstream credit cards.
What’s the intro offer on the Disney Inspire Visa card?
With the brand new Disney Inspire Visa card, you’ll receive a $300 Disney Gift card and a $300 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in the first three months from the account opening.
What are the main features of the card?
The card has a few credits/benefits:
- Earn 200 Disney Rewards Dollars after spending $2,000 per anniversary year on US Disney Resort and Disney Cruise Line bookings
- $100 Disney Theme Park Tickets Credit after spending $200 per anniversary year on US Disney Theme Park Tickets
- Up to $120 annual credit on Disney+, Hulu or ESPN
The biggest catch with the 200 Disney Rewards Dollars is that only Resort and Disney cruise bookings count. To be crystal clear: theme park ticket purchased do not count. This can make it infinitely harder to actually utilize this credit. I would prefer to stay at hotel brands like Hyatt or Marriott because I can earn points that can be used almost everywhere I’d want to travel (including staying nearby Disney World).
The $100 of Disney Theme Park Tickets Credit after spending $200 per anniversary year on US Disney Theme Park Tickets is a solid benefit if you go to Disney World or Disneyland two/three or more times a year. For context, I’m looking at tickets to Disney World for the next few months and the price per ticket is averaging around $175 per ticket. The prices for tickets to Disneyland are more variable. You could pay as low as $104 per ticket or inch near $200 per ticket, which would trigger the $100 credit (assuming you pay with the card).
If you are going to Disney World or Disneyland with at least one other person, you could spend the $200 per anniversary year on US Disney Theme Park Tickets in just one day at Disney. If you’re paying for yourself or headed to Disney by yourself, you would most likely need to buy a 2-day ticket or go to one of the parks on two different occasions.
The up to $120 of annual credit on Disney+, Hulu or ESPN is a nice benefit because most folks I know use at least one of these streaming platforms. I personally enjoy Hulu because they have a nice variety of shows and documentaries.
What are the earn rates on the Disney Inspire Visa card?
With the Disney Inspire Visa card, your earning will come in the form of Disney Reward Dollars:
- Earn 10% on purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.ESPN.com
- Earn 3% on purchases at gas stations and most US Disney locations
- Earn 2% on purchases at grocery stores and restaurants
- Earn 1% everywhere else
The 10% earn rate on purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.ESPN.com can be great if you use any of these platforms. Especially when you add on the $10 monthly credit that the card offers on Disney+, Hulu or ESPN. As an example, if one of your subscriptions with Disney+, Hulu or ESPN is $30, you’ll get the $10 credit and then 10% back on the $20 remaining.
Does this card have an annual fee?
Yup. The Disney Inspire Visa card has a $149 annual fee.
However, the card does come with a solid amount of benefits for a mid-tier annual fee.
Does the Disney Inspire Visa card have foreign transaction fees?
The Disney Inspire Visa card doesn’t have foreign transaction fees so you can use this card as you like across the world.
How do I redeem Disney Reward Dollars?
With most points or miles systems, it’s usually not too complex to find a way to use them. Disney Reward Dollars add another complexity.
First off, you’ll need to order a Disney Rewards Redemption card. You can order the card online via your Disney account after you link it with your Chase.com Disney Visa card account. You can also Order a Disney Rewards Redemption Card, reload Disney Rewards Dollars via the Chase Mobile app or pick up the Disney Rewards Redemption card at Guest Relations at one of the parks in Disney World or Disneyland.
Once you’ve earned at least 20 Disney Rewards Dollars, you can sign into your account to load a Redemption Card with your Rewards Dollars. You can reload a Redemption Card with a minimum of 10 Rewards Dollars anytime. Disney Rewards Redemption Cards are reloadable, reusable and do not expire.
As soon as you have your Disney Rewards Redemption card with Disney Reward Dollars on the card, you can redeem them at a number of places:
- Disney Resort stays and Disney Theme Park Tickets
- Purchases at DisneyStore.com
- Tickets for Disney, Disney and Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel movies at AMCTheatres.com or on the AMC Theatres Mobile App
This is great for Disney lovers but it does really restrict your options.
Who is the Disney Inspire Visa card best for?
The Disney Inspire Visa card is best for folks who stay at Disney hotels/book Disney cruises regularly, go to Disney parks and have Disney+/Hulu/ESPN as one of their streaming services.
I would not get this card if you can’t get the 200 Disney Rewards Dollar after spending $2,000+ on eligible purchases. If you spend enough to get all the credits, you’d be getting $420 in credits every year on a $149 annual fee—pretty good.
What was my experience with Disney?
My family likes to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida at least once a year around Christmas time. And I even have some relatives that live in Florida and have season passes.
I’ve been to Disney World 10+ times and each time it’s a pleasant experience. I’ve been to Disneyland once as well when I took a vacation in California. My favorite ride is Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom park in Disney World. It’s a roller-coaster that’s mostly in the dark and has all kinds of twists and turns. My only complaint is waiting in long lines for rides but that’s what you get since both parks are so popular! And the tickets have a hefty price tag….
What is the best card for Disney purchases?
You might be surprised that my take is that the best cards for Disney purchases are NOT any of the Disney cards. One of the cards that comes to mind is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. It’s an amazing hotel card that has a lower annual fee than the Disney Inspire Visa card at $95. The welcome offer is also much more intriguing than the Disney Inspire Visa because you can get 5 free night certificates after spending $3,000 in the first three months from your account opening. These 5 free night awards can end up saving you thousands of dollars on your next Disneyworld or Disneyland vacation.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, you’ll receive an additional free night award on each account anniversary. This more than makes up for the $95 annual fee on the card. There’s also solid earn rates. As an example, you can get 3 Marriott points per $1 spent on gas, grocery stores and dining. The dining earn rate is great when you are eating at spots in Disney parks.
The card that’s on the top of my list is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s a pretty awesome travel card because you get 3 Chase points per $1 spent on dining and 2 points per $1 spent on travel (excluding Chase Travel). It is also a card that unlocks the ability to transfer to Chase’s hotel & airline partners. This can be great for your travel to Disney parks as well as staying at Disney resorts.
JetBlue is one of Chase’s airline partners and I love flying JetBlue to get to Orlando to visit my family and go to Disney World. Another cool related benefit is that you can earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel. And don’t forget about the welcome bonus—you’ll get 75,000 Chase points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from the account opening. All of these benefits come at just a $95 annual fee!
Final Remarks
The Disney Inspire Visa card is not a bad credit card but it’s not your best option either. Even for Disney purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card are the two cards that are at the top of my list for all things Disney. They are both great cards to have for earn rates while you are in the parks, when you are traveling to the parks and staying nearby at a hotel. And if you have other items on your travel bucket list, these cards can fit those needs as well. Unfortunately the Disney Inspire Visa only makes sense if you are a mega Disney superfan that exclusively stays at Disney hotels when going to the parks.
What do you think of this new mid-tier premium Disney Inspire Visa card?